


if you let my soul out (it will come right back to you)

by darklady21



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Photographer, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, prob smut later but idk, this fandom has too much angst already
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-08 18:55:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17391824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darklady21/pseuds/darklady21
Summary: Catra couldn’t believe this was what she was reduced to. Roaming around Bright Moon dragging her camera and the rest of her equipment, carefully dodging snobby locals who didn’t spare her a glance, and on the rare occasion they did, it was accompanied by a sneer.orWhen Catra goes meet up with an Instagram pseudo celebrity for a photoshoot, she figures she has already hit rock bottom. As it turns out, life disagrees with her, and what was already bad can become worse. Much worse.





	1. Everything works out so good

Catra couldn’t believe _this_ was what she was reduced to. Roaming around Bright Moon dragging her camera and the rest of her equipment, carefully dodging snobby locals who didn’t spare her a glance, and on the rare occasion they did, it was accompanied by a sneer.

She hated this city. She hated the air of superiority every single person around here seemed to carry. She hated the façade of a perfect life everyone would put up - whether it was while walking down the street with flawless smiles plastered on their faces as if they didn’t have to worry about a single thing in the world, or on their social media, where every picture basically screamed artificiality. Worst of all were the internet personalities, who apparently thought they owned the world just because they had a bunch of stupid followers interested in their equally stupid daily lives.

 And, ironically, it was exactly one of those internet personalities she was going to meet right now. Some kid named Bow saw her work and got interested – something about her photos capturing exactly the feeling of the moment – and messaged her about wanting to do a photoshoot with his friends to celebrate their friendship, or, in his exact words, _celebrate his best friend squad_. Catra almost gagged. Were this any other occasion she would have replied immediately with a no, but she was short on money. Scorpia, her roommate with who she shared an apartment on Horde City, had already helped her up by paying the bills this month and even lending Catra some money so she could survive until a job came up.  She couldn’t go another month like this.

So this is why she now found herself facing the glass doors of a really tall building, which proudly held a giant white logo written _Swift Wind Company_ on its front, and a symbol that looked like... a crop-top with a heart underneath it. _The things you do for money,_ Catra thought with a sigh.

She looked around, trying to spot the boy she was supposed to meet here among the crowd. She barely remembered his face from his profile picture, which was the only photo she had seen of him. When she opened his Instagram and saw “live, laugh, love” on his bio, she immediately closed it – if she spent another second there, Catra was pretty sure she’d sooner rob a bank than come to this job, and she wasn’t quite ready to go to jail yet.  When she couldn’t find anyone that matched her memory of him, she carried her equipment to the steps that led to the entrance of the building and sat down on one of them, deciding to wait and see if he’d really show up.

 _Maybe he won’t come at all._ She couldn’t decide if that thought bothered her or made her relieved – on one hand, she’d be pissed if she had come all the way here for nothing, but on the other, she _really_ would rather spend her day anywhere else.

Just as she was about to give in to the voice in her head that had been screaming that this whole thing was a mistake since the moment she stepped out of her home, a young dark skinned man came running out the glass doors in her direction, approaching her with an apologetic smile on his face.

“Sorry! My dads asked for my opinion on the designs for some clothes and I ended up getting caught up. I’m really sorry for keeping you waiting” he said while scratching the back of his neck, only stopping to extend his hand for a handshake. “Anyway, I’m Bow. You’re Catra, right? It’s nice to meet you.”

“Right.” She stood up and took his hand, shaking it quickly before letting go.

For a split second surprise crossed the boy’s face, apparently expecting a more enthusiastic introduction, but he quickly covered it up with a grin. “So, I was thinking maybe we could do the photoshoot in the park? It’s a short walk from here and the scenery is really beautiful.” He nodded his head at what Catra assumed was the general direction of the park. “Plus, I’ve kind of already told my friends to meet us there.” He added sheepishly.

“Suit yourself.” Catra shrugged. She honestly couldn’t care less where they would be shooting, she just wanted to get this job done so she could go home and not set foot on Bright Moon for a long time. Preferably never again, but she knew this was wishful thinking. Kids around here may be stuck-up idiots, but they had money and Catra didn’t, so she knew she’d have to come back here eventually. Hopefully it wouldn’t be to meet some Instagram famous again.

This time, Bow chose to ignore her lack of enthusiasm and waited for Catra to grab her equipment. “Need a help with that?”

“Nah, I got it.” She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, gathering her gear and following in the direction Bow had started walking towards, falling into step beside him.

“So...  I know this is different from your usual work, but I was really hoping you’d agree to come. I meant what I said before, about your photos capturing feelings, and that’s why I want to do this with my friends, so our friendship can be preserved forever somewhere!” He gave a bright smile, not being able to hold his excitement over this whole idea. “Aside from our hearts, of course.”

Catra stared at him. _Perhaps this kid isn’t so bad._ Bow seemed genuine, albeit a bit naive, which already put him on a higher position than most of Bright Moon’s population on Catra’s rank.

“Thanks.”

She too, in the past, had a friendship she wished she could hold forever in a moment. Untouched by time and a life that insisted on moving forward without her. _Not the time,_ she reminded herself, shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts.

“Look, that’s the park! We’re almost there, and you’ll get to see the Best Friend Squad in action!”

Catra rolled her eyes so hard she was surprised they didn’t fall off her head. _Maybe jail wouldn’t be so bad._

In a couple minutes they were already entering the park, and, as much Catra didn’t want to admit, Bow was right. The scenery was indeed beautiful, filled with trees where the sunlight filtered through the leaves, a small lake with clear water and fish swimming in it, and flower beds that surrounded the stone pathway they were currently walking on. The best part for Catra was that there weren’t too many people around, and under different circumstances she might even have truly enjoyed this place.

She glanced at Bow, who was going in the direction of the lake, where two people sat by. They were still too far for her to see anything but their silhouettes. _Must be the other idiots._

She chose to focus on her surroundings, realizing that photographing in here wouldn’t be that difficult, her only challenge being the morons she was stuck with for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn’t until she heard Bow say “There they are!” that she noticed they had come significantly closer to the people she had seen before.

She could now see their features, and the first thing she noticed was blonde hair. 

The second were wide blue eyes staring at her.

The third was a voice she hadn’t heard in over a year.

“Catra?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my first fic ever!!!!!! 
> 
> let me know what you guys think, if i should continue this or not  
> and if you're enjoying it so far
> 
> comments and kudos are very appreciated <3
> 
> hope y'all enjoyed (:


	2. Tell me how to feel about you now

_The first time they met, Catra was five. She was in the school playground, and a girl two grades above hers named Octavia had just taken her kitten plush away from her. So she did the most logical thing to do: she kicked Octavia in the shin and called her a dumb face, just to see Ms. Weaver, the principal, approaching them right after. Catra took off running, hiding behind one of the slides, only then remembering that she had left her stuffed toy behind, the very reason why the fight had even started in the first place. Not only had she lost her plush now, but she was also pretty sure she was in trouble. Ms. Weaver would never believe she wasn’t the one who started the fight._

_Ms. Weaver wasn’t just the school’s principal, she was also Catra’s aunt and all the family she had left. Her parents passed away when she was a baby, and her only relative that could be found was her mother’s sister, who, in her own words, accepted to take Catra in because maybe she’d show herself useful to her someday. And that’s exactly what Catra had been trying to do for as long as she could remember – prove that she was not just a troublemaker, an insolent child, as she was so often called._

_But now she had messed up again. She’d get punished. She’d get yelled at. Even if she managed to avoid Weaver at school, she was sure to meet her anger once they got home._

_She couldn’t help it – a couple tears started running down her face, and she sniffled while wiping them with the sleeves of her coat._ Can’t be weak _, she thought. Just then, she heard a voice a few steps away from the slide._

_“Hey.”_

_She carefully peeked from behind her hiding spot, blue and yellow eyes meeting blue ones. There stood a little girl, around Catra’s age, blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, a timid smile on her face and a kitten plush on her hand._

_“It’s okay, they didn’t see where you went. I thought you’d want this back?” She tentatively extended her hand, offering Catra the toy, who took it carefully as if expecting the girl to suddenly retreat her hand and make fun of Catra. But it never happened. She just watched with nothing but kindness in her eyes as Catra held the kitten close to her chest._

_The girl’s timid smile widened then, becoming more of a grin as she moved slightly closer to Catra._

_“I’m Adora.”_

_Catra allowed a grin to appear on her face as well, hers being a cheeky match to Adora’s beaming one._

_“Hey Adora. I’m Catra.”_

* * *

 

Shock crossed Catra’s features for a few seconds before she managed to recover, putting up a mask of nonchalance.

“Hey Adora.”

She mentally congratulated herself for how steady her voice sounded, even though in her mind she was freaking out. _Adora?! Out of all people, it had to be fucking Adora?! Out of all times, it had to be now?!_

Adora’s surprise was still evident on her face, becoming even more apparent when she tried to speak.

“How did you-? I didn’t know- What are you doing here?”

“Thought you’d never see me again, huh? Surprise, apparently I'm your photographer for the day.”

“You two know each other?” Bow and Glimmer, who had been watching the whole scene play out with puzzled looks on their face, asked at almost the same time.

Adora never took her eyes off Catra as she answered. “It’s kind of a long story.”

Glimmer was about to speak, likely going to ask for details, but Bow, sensing the tension in the air and the reluctance in Adora’s voice, decided to speak up. “O-kay, well, let’s get this photoshoot started!”

That seemed to snap both girls out of the staring contest they had subconsciously gotten into and sprang them into action. Adora got up from where she was sitting, shooting Bow a grateful look, and Catra went to set up her equipment a bit farther away from where they all were, so she could get wider shots. While doing so, she snuck furtive glances at the duo that apparently were Adora’s new friends, who were now talking to her in hushed tones while she had a dismissive look on her face.  

Even though Catra admitted that perhaps Bow wasn’t that bad, the purple haired girl standing next to him was a whole other story. First of all, her clothes were all purple. It was like looking at a giant grape. And what was that on her cheeks? Was that... glitter?    

_Dear God Adora, are those the people you traded me for?_

She then decided to focus on her gear, ignoring past feelings that kept trying to resurface every time she so much as took a look at Adora. Attaching her camera to the tripod, adjusting the lenses, checking the lighting – those were things Catra was used to doing. Photography was something she truly enjoyed, and she was good at it. Part of the reason why she loved it so much was from knowing she was able to preserve a moment - to preserve a feeling - and the knowledge that no matter what, it wouldn’t change. Even if everything fell apart after she took the photo, she’d have proof that things weren’t always this way.

She looked at Adora on her camera screen, smiling at something her friends had said.

_She’d have proof that for one moment things were beautiful._

Noticing that Catra was done setting up, Bow approached her, his two friends walking close behind. “All done?”

“Yeah, you guys just go by the lake and pose however you want.”

“Actually, I was wondering if you could take some natural shots of us as well? Like, us talking, laughing, stuff like that.” It was purple girl talking, looking at Catra with a smile that looked just a little bit too friendly to be genuine. “Oh, and I’m Glimmer by the way.”

“I know what natural means, Glitter.”

“It’s _Glimmer.”_

“Whatever. But yeah, I can take them.”

“Perfect!” Bow exclaimed before Glimmer had a chance to comment on Catra’s rudeness, grabbing his friend’s arm and dragging her away. “We’ll just go stand over there then so you can do your magic!”

Adora didn’t move to follow her friends. Instead, she was staring at Catra, a troubled look clouding her ocean eyes.

She took a step closer to the photographer. “Catra-“

“Don’t, Adora. Just don’t.”

Adora didn’t look like she was giving up that easily. “Please, let’s just-“

“Adora! Aren’t you coming?” Bow called out, already standing by the lake with Glimmer by his side.

Adora looked at them, then her eyes went back to Catra, blue eyes staring deeply into mismatched ones. Probing. Searching.

_What are you looking for, Adora?_

“This isn’t over yet.”

Her words were laced with determination, leaving Catra with a weird feeling as she watched the blonde walk up to her friends.

 _For fuck’s sake_ , Catra thought with a sigh, moving towards her camera.

 

* * *

 

 

One hour and many “Glitter, can you move a little to the side?” “It’s _Glimmer!”_ later, they were finally done. All the photos had been taken, and although they unfortunately included three idiots in them, Catra was happy with the results. Apparently, so was Bow.

“Oh. My. God.” Bow, Glimmer and Adora were currently huddled around Catra’s camera, passing through the photos on its screen and checking how they looked. “They are amazing! _We_ look amazing! Best Looking Friends Squad!”

He and Glimmer high-fived.

Catra resisted the urge to face-palm.

“You know I still have to edit them, right?”

“Yeah, but they already look fantastic! Thank you so much!”

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. You can see them when I send them to you.” Catra motioned for them to step aside so she could get to her camera. And then, looking at the photo displayed on the screen, she noticed something she hadn’t seen before.

Adora.

Staring directly at the camera.

Staring directly at _her._

_You don’t get to do that, Adora. Not after what you did._

 

* * *

 

_Catra’s eyes were filled with tears._

_Her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. Maybe it was. For all she knew, she had given it to Adora a long time ago. And now she was gone, and took it with her._

_But no, this wasn’t just heartbreak._

_This was betrayal._

 

* * *

 

She was startled out of her thoughts by Bow putting an arm around her shoulders, holding an envelope in his hand. “Hey, here’s your payment! You did an incredible job!”

She took the envelope before shoving him away, glaring briefly at the dark skinned boy. “I’ll send you the photos in a week.” When she saw him pouting, she resisted the wish to snap at him and just took a deep breath. “Editing fucking sucks. It takes time. Be grateful it won’t take longer.”

The pout was replaced with a smile. “Alright, alright. It’ll be worth the wait.”

By now, the sun was starting to set, casting over the whole park an orange glow, making the trees look as if they were ablaze. Catra took one last picture, this one exclusively of the landscape surrounding her, and started to pack up. Something caught her attention, though – her name, being said in a whisper by Adora, making her listen more closely to the conversation the blonde was having at the moment with her purple haired friend.

“My story with Catra is complicated, Glimmer. I promise I’ll tell you the whole thing some other day, but not right now, alright?”

“Fine, but I don’t get how you used to be friends with _her.”_

 _I don’t get why Adora is friends with a_ purple _gremlin as well but you don’t see me saying that, do you?_ She thought bitterly, returning her attention to packing, more than ready to go to her apartment, pay up Scorpia, and then proceed to pretend this day never happened.  

By the time she was done, Bow was standing beside Glimmer, a content smile on his face, apparently ready to go home as well.

_Does he ever stop smiling?_

“So, I guess we’ll get going.  Thanks again Catra, I’ll make sure to credit you on my Instagram, so more people will get to know your work.”

She didn’t know whether to be happy that more people would see her work or disgusted that those people would very likely be from _Bright Moon_.

Bow and Glimmer started to walk away, with the latter only muttering a curt “Bye” to Catra, and had already taken some steps when they noticed Adora wasn’t following. Turning around, they saw she was standing beside Catra.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Adora shook her head, a smile on her lips when she looked at them, which softened when she turned to Catra.

“I guess I’ll hang around for a bit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, if it isn't your sleep deprived author. right now i'm running on 3 hours of sleep and caffeine. yeah, i'm pretty healthy.  
> i'm still deciding where i want this to go but i'm really enjoying writing it so far.  
> next chapter will be focused on our gays only, promise  
> let me know what you thought on this one  
> as always, kudos and comments are very much appreciated!!! <3


	3. You can break my heart in two, but when it heals it beats for you

After Bow and Glimmer left, both of them looking slightly taken aback and confused by Adora deciding to stay,  the two girls were left alone in a strained silence.

Adora had _not_ thought this through. She had no idea what to say. How do you even talk to someone after not hearing _anything_ from them in over a year? She hated this. Hated the awkwardness. Hated that this is what her relationship with the one she used to call her best friend had become.

It was Catra who spoke up first.

“Bit of a step down, don’t you think?”

“What?”

Catra nodded her head in the direction Bow and Glimmer had gone. “Going from me to them. Especially in Glitter’s case, which is literally a step down. How tall she even is?”

Adora felt her anger rise up, but she knew that being angry and snapping at Catra wouldn’t get them anywhere, only serving to damage their already broken relationship even further. So, she took a deep breath. “They’re my friends, Catra.”

“Yeah, well, so was I. Why did you even stay, anyway? Shouldn’t you be jumping up at the chance to leave me behind?”

“I want to talk to you, Catra. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to leave you.” She sounded so honest. It made Catra want to scream.

“Quit this bullshit, Adora. I didn’t even get a fucking goodbye! You just left!”

“It wasn’t my choice! You think I wouldn’t have chosen you? Catra, I would always choose you.” Adora’s voice caught in her throat, and her next words came out almost like a whisper. “You were my best friend.”

Friend?

No. That didn’t feel right.

Neither of them knew what they had, but it was never just a friendship. It was much more special, much less simpler. They didn’t know when it had started or when it had ended. Right now, seeing each other after so long apart, they both wondered if it had ever ended at all.

Catra looked so guarded, so skeptical. But Adora had learned how to read her like an open book, spent years mastering how to do so. She could see the conflict raging in her eyes. The doubt between letting go once and for all, or keep holding on.

“Please Catra, let’s just talk. Give me one more chance.” She took a step closer then, extending her hand to the other girl. Catra didn’t move. “Give _us_ one more chance.”

 

* * *

 

_A weekend._

_That’s how long it took for everything to go wrong._

_Adora had just gotten home from school on a Friday afternoon, a little over a year ago, calling out “I’m home” so her grandmother, Razz, would know she had arrived. Her parents died in a car crash when she was five, making her move to Horde City to her grandma’s house, where she’d been living ever since. She still missed her parents, of course, but she was also really grateful for Razz. She was a nice old lady, albeit a bit eccentric at times, who raised Adora for thirteen years with nothing but love._

_When she got no response, she went to look for her, only to be met with the view of her aunt, a woman named Mara who lived in Bright Moon and came to visit at least twice a month, sitting by herself on the living room’s faded brown couch, with tears running down her cheeks and a distraught look on her face._

_“Aunt Mara? What are you doing here? What’s wrong?”_

_Mara was startled for a second, not noticing until now that Adora was standing there, but when she recovered she immediately got up, moving slowly closer to her niece and holding her in a tight embrace._

_Adora had no idea what was happening, but she still hugged her aunt back, feeling her tears falling on her shoulder and wetting her shirt. “Aunt Mara, you’re scaring me. Please tell me what’s going on.”_

_Mara spoke up, voice shaky and weak, still holding firmly onto her. “It’s your grandmother. She-“ a sob escaped her “She died.”_

_After that, Adora’s memories were a grief-filled blur. She could only recall bits of it. Mara explaining she had come to visit, letting herself in after no one came to answer the door, only to find Razz lying on the floor. She rushed to the hospital, but it was already too late. A heart attack – a fatal one, the doctors had said._

_A funeral._

_Being told she’d live with her aunt now._

_Packing her things in a daze-like state, moving on autopilot._

_By Monday evening, she was already collapsed on her new bed in Bright Moon, only then remembering to check her phone. She grabbed it from the nightstand, screen lighting up to show her she had 17 missed calls and 29 unread texts._

_All from Catra._

 

* * *

Catra glanced at the outstretched hand in front of her, then to blue hopeful eyes who stared at her as if she had the fate of the universe in her hands.

Catra sighed. Adora held her breath.

“I can’t do this-“ she watched the blonde’s face fall.

“- without caffeine in my body.” She smirked then, amused at how the disheartened expression Adora wore changed to surprise, almost shock, in a split second. Taking Adora’s hand, she continued “This day’s being a lot more exhausting than I thought it would. Do you know any coffee shops around?”

Adora was still processing the words she had just heard. Catra could almost see the loading symbol on her forehead. When she was done, her face turned into the perfect picture of annoyed. “That was low, Catra.” Was she... pouting?

_Nope, that’s not cute at all. Alright, maybe just a bit._

The smirk never left Catra’s face. “You know nothing is too low for me, princess.”

Only then she realized she was still holding Adora’s hand. She immediately let go, a slight blush appearing on both of their cheeks.

“So, uh, coffee?”

“Y-yeah, sure. There’s one just a block away.”

“Lead the way, princess.” And just like that, Catra’s cool façade was back, along with Adora’s annoyance.

“Stop calling me that.” Adora groaned, walking in the direction of the park’s exit, Catra matching her steps beside her.

“Only when you stop being one.”

Despite being annoyed, Adora felt happiness start to bloom within her. Teasing was something they’d always do; it carried a sense of familiarity in the middle of this uncharted territory they were walking on right now. And so, she knew exactly how to deal with it. Counter-attack.

“Asking me to go to a coffee shop with you, calling me pet names. You know, if you wanted to go on a date with me you could just have asked, Catra.”

She almost let out a laugh when she saw Catra come to a complete halt while she kept walking, the other girl having to jog up a bit to fall into step with her again. 

“You wish” was all Catra managed to answer, along with an indignant huff. Adora allowed a smug smile to creep onto her face, counting the fact that she could still make Catra flustered as a small victory.

After that, they walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, which came as a pleasant surprise to both of them. Knowing they didn’t need to talk all the time and still got to enjoy each other’s presence, not falling into a strained silence, brought a relief to the two.

When they were nearing the coffee shop, a man passed between them, bumping their shoulders and muttering a quick “sorry” under his breath, not even stopping to look back as he kept walking. Catra glared at him until he was out of her sight, lost in the seemingly ever-present crowd that filled the streets of Bright Moon.

“I don’t know how you stand to live in this city.”

“Hey, it’s not that bad. I know it’s a little... packed” Adora gestured to their surroundings with her hand “but it also has some nice things. Like the views. Those are better than the ones at Horde City.”

Catra had to give in. As much as she hated Bright Moon, it wasn’t a bad place to look – or photograph – at. Its habitants, though, seemed to obscure the whole beauty of it for her. “Yeah, fine. But, uh, growing up in the Horde also had its ups, right? You don’t hate it over there, do you?”

Adora gave her the softest look she had ever seen. “The Horde has you, Catra. That’s enough to put everything in Bright Moon to shame.”

At that, Catra gave her the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. Not a smug filled one, but an honest, vulnerable smile, so soft it made her heart beat faster in her chest.

And then it was gone, replaced by a smirk.

“Now who’s the one that wants to be on a date, huh?”

Adora wanted to strangle her for ruining the moment, even as she felt her cheeks warm.

 She was mercifully spared from having to reply, seeing the coffee shop entrance come into view just a few steps ahead of them. “Look, we’re here.”

They walked into the shop, which had wooden floors, brown chairs with matching tables spread around the place, and low lighting to create a cozy atmosphere. It was also, blissfully, mostly empty. By the counter stood a barista who couldn’t have been older than twenty, and behind him was a black board that listed all the drinks the shop offered. Other than the boy, there were six or seven people present at most.

By the front door, there was a standing chalkboard with “drink coffee, do stupid things faster and with more energy” written on big letters, and underneath it, on a smaller handwriting, “please don’t steal our chalkboard again”.  That made Catra snort.

After going up to the counter with Adora and ordering a black coffee – her companion opting for a mocha latte – she went to get them a table while the blonde waited for their drinks, deciding to sit down on one by a window.

Now, alone with her thoughts, she finally had the chance to think about what she was doing. Did she want Adora back in her life? What would guarantee she wouldn’t just leave again?

 _I would always choose you_.

Adora’s words back from earlier rang in her head.  She was tired of being left behind. Tired of feeling abandoned. She knew her parents didn’t want to leave her to Weaver, and she knew Adora didn’t want to leave her all alone in a place no one cared about her.

But that didn’t make it hurt less.

 

* * *

 

_Adora wasn’t answering her texts or her calls since Friday and she had no idea why._

_Did something happen?_

_Was Adora okay?_

_By her twelfth call, her thoughts started to change._

_Did she do something to upset her?_

_Should she drop by to check up on her?_

_By the seventeenth, only one thing echoed in her mind._

_Adora had grown tired of her._

_In their thirteen years of friendship, they hadn’t gone more than a day without talking. Not even when Catra would screw up and make Adora mad. She’d get snappy and reply with short sentences, sure, but she’d still talk._

_By Monday afternoon, with Adora not showing up to school that day, Catra knew something was terribly wrong. Adora hadn’t missed a day of school that year. They’d graduate in a few months, and she was more worried than ever about her classes._

_On Monday evening, her phone screen lit up. A text from Adora saying her grandma had died._

_Catra immediately replied, saying how sorry she was for her loss and asking if she wanted Catra to come over. Although death had been present in her life before, Catra had been too young to actually suffer through grief. But even if she couldn’t understand how much pain her best friend was going through, she wanted to be there for her. To hold her and let her know it would be okay._

_When her phone screen lit up again, it was to show her the worst text of her life._

_Adora wasn’t in Horde City. And she wouldn’t be anytime soon, because from now on she would be living with her aunt in Bright Moon. She had already moved in and they would look for a new school the next week that she could attend for the few months she had until graduation._

_Adora wasn’t coming back.  Adora, the only light she had in her life, was gone._

_And Catra was left in the darkness._

_The next day, with eyes filled with tears and the word “betrayal” running through her head, she blocked Adora in every way she had to contact her and swore she’d never let anyone close enough to hurt her again._

* * *

 

Feeling like she was left behind was bad, but being alone was even worse. What was the use of shutting everyone out to protect herself if she’d just end up hurt all the same?

As she saw Adora approaching, their drinks in hand and a beaming smile on her face, she came to a conclusion right then and there.

Catra was a moth and Adora was the light.

She’d follow her even if it led to her death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloooo  
> i really enjoyed writing this chapter (i was gonna make it longer but it's 4am and my brain doesn't understand the concept of words anymore)  
> please leave a kudos or a comment if you liked it, those mean a lot to me and give me motivation to keep writing <3  
> see y'all next chapter


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